"The Justice Department is committed to investigations of allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated.''

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in February 2010 that it was opening a preliminary inquiry into the Campbell shooting.

At the time, then-Portland city commissioner Dan Saltzman, who served as police commissioner, told the community he would ask the federal agency to launch an investigation. The department, at the time, said the preliminary inquiry would provide a "full and fair review of the locally-conducted investigation.''

The federal justice department said it would look at the information gathered, evaluate it and forward it to the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice where others -- including the FBI and United States Attorney's Office -- will "consider what further steps should be undertaken."

The shooting took place the evening of Jan. 29, 2010, after a disturbance at a Northeast Portland apartment complex. Campbell appeared ready to surrender to police in the moments before he was shot in the back and killed by Officer Ronald Frashour. But Frashour later told a grand jury that he thought Campbell was reaching to his waistband and pulling out a gun. Campbell was not armed at the time.

The Albina Ministerial Alliance wanted a commitment from Saltzman to pursue the federal civil rights investigation – echoing a call by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who came to Portland to decry the shooting. Jackson called the shooting an "execution.''

A Multnomah County grand jury cleared Frashour of criminal wrongdoing in the shooting, but sent a letter to the county district attorney's office that was highly critical of police handling of the incident.

A federal lawsuit by Campbell's family is pending against the city of Portland.

Portland Chief Mike Reese fired Officer Ronald Frashour in November for his use of deadly force against Campbell. Frashour shot Campbell with an AR-15 rifle after other officers talked him into walking out of a Northeast Portland apartment building. He was walking back with his hands behind his head. Police said he ignored commands to put his hands up, and Officer Ryan Lewton shot him with beanbag rounds before Frashour's lethal shot.

The chief also gave Lewton and Sgts. Liani Reyna and Sgt. John Birkinbine, 80-hour unpaid suspensions. The chief and mayor found the use of force was inappropriate, and there was a serious breakdown in communication between police supervisors at the scene monitoring a police negotiator's phone contact with Campbell, and the officers standing ready with guns drawn.

The Portland Police Association is challenging Frashour's firing.

In a pending federal lawsuit, the mother of Aaron Campbell alleged in court documents that Portland police engaged in harassing, hostile and deceptive behavior that included surveillance of other relatives for over two months after the shooting.

Mayor Sam Adams, who serves as police commissioner, and Chief Reese released a statement this afternoon, thanking the federal justice department for its review. They said they couldn't undo Campbell's death, but learned from it and took decision action to hold officers accountable and address policy and training matters related to the case.

I took the time to read the majority of the arbitration report given on the link.

I came away from this with a little different mindset than when I first came accross this story.

This officer was put through basically a 'perfect storm' of events that led up to the shooting and I basically believe the officer is a good person that was momentarily overwhelmed with events that took place over a period of about 3 seconds.

I tried to visualize in my head what happened and I now feel sorry for both the victim and the officer.

After reading into the detail of the report I can personally support the officer being reinstated or not. Perhaps he may want to find a different line of work on his own due to his personal anquish over mistakenly taking the victims life.

If the accusations are true about the departments surveilance and harrassment of the surviving family members I find that disturbing.

I took the time to read the majority of the arbitration report given on the link.

I came away from this with a little different mindset than when I first came accross this story.

This officer was put through basically a 'perfect storm' of events that led up to the shooting and I basically believe the officer is a good person that was momentarily overwhelmed with events that took place over a period of about 3 seconds.

I tried to visualize in my head what happened and I now feel sorry for both the victim and the officer.

After reading into the detail of the report I can personally support the officer being reinstated or not. Perhaps he may want to find a different line of work on his own due to his personal anquish over mistakenly taking the victims life.

If the accusations are true about the departments surveilance and harrassment of the surviving family members I find that disturbing.

Even if it was a "perfect storm" it is inexcusable. More so because he is "supposedly" a professional. I believe that these mend and women should be held to a higher standard, not constantly given a pass. Cops are always getting away with murder.

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